Golden Gourmet Wine Tips
The Dutch answer to stuffed turkey is old-fashioned Dutch gourmet cooking. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just get good meat, fresh fish and plenty of vegetables, and start cooking. Add these handy wine tips and it will be a complete success.
Wine with your gourmet meal: the perfect temperature
Serve every wine chilled, whether it’s white, rosé or red. The heat from the appliance causes the surrounding temperature to rise considerably. White and rosé can even be served colder than usual. And if the bottle stays on the table, put it in an ice bucket. Chill red wine beforehand too, and place a wine cooler around it on the table. It’s also best not to put your glass next to the glowing appliance.
Choose a crowd-pleaser
The abundance of flavors from meat, fish and sauces is impressive when gourmet cooking. The wine will have to go with all of them to some extent. So choose a fruity crowd-pleaser that is not too light (it will get lost among all the fatty flavors) and certainly not too heavy either (too many bitter tannins and too much oak are rather distracting amid all that action). The wine can be any color, and it certainly doesn’t have to be expensive. Keep it simple. Think of a white Grüner Veltliner or unoaked Chardonnay, a Merlot or Pinot Noir from a warm region. A full-bodied rosé or a delicious sparkling wine would also be an excellent match.
Choose a theme
Would you rather have a true match? Then choose a specific gourmet style: only different kinds of game, for example, everything chicken-based, or a completely vegetarian or fish-focused gourmet meal. It will then be easier to find something suitable. And by the way, don’t put six different sauces on the table either. One, or at most two, which you make yourself, of course.
Match Made in Gourmet Heaven
If you make the sauces and the meat and/or fish marinades yourself, it is incredibly easy to create the perfect wine-and-food match. Make a delicious wine sauce and marinades using the wine you are also drinking at the table. For fish, poultry and pork, for example, use a Chardonnay base, and for game, beef and lamb, a Merlot base. The wine and food will then complement each other seamlessly.
GOURMET WINE TIPS:
FRIENDLY WHITE
Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner
€8 HEMA
“Still the best Grüner Veltliner you can buy for this price. Fresh, with drive and bite. This year, white fruit, a hint of anise and fennel, citrus, white pepper and plenty of juice and purity.” – Harold Hamersma
ROSÉ
Domaine De L’Amaurigue Rosé
€ 11,29 Gall&Gall
Award-winning rosé with a Dutch touch, but made in Provence. Absolutely delicious!
YOUNG AND FRUITY RED
Barton & Guestier Merlot
€ 6,56 Jumbo
“B & G is on an upward trajectory. The fresh vintage of cabernet sauvignon is better than 2019. And the merlot is reaching for higher ground too. As for the price: add three dimes. But it is worth every one of those three dimes. Rich in cassis, ripe blackberries, deliciously berry-like and with a drop of black coffee.” – Harold Hamersma
REFRESHING SPARKLING
Raventós i Blanc Gran Reserva de la Finca Brut Nature
€ 28,99 Gall&Gall
The Rolls-Royce of cavas. Bone-dry, thrillingly taut and with a finish that lasts until 2024.
Villa Blanche Crémant de Limoux Rosé
€16,95 Astrid&Therese
This sparkling rosé crémant is at least as delicious as a rosé champagne, but considerably less expensive. Fruity, fresh and sparkling.
